According to the 2011 Broadband Survey from the FCC, only cable and FIOS broadband providers actually meet the speeds they advertise to customers. In some cases, that makes sense, but it got us wondering: does your ISP give you the speed they advertise?

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DSL can't be blamed for all of its woes: the farther away from a DSLAM (Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer) a DSL customer is, the slower their speed, and the more people who ride the same lines. Some of the same rules apply with cable as well: the more cable subscribers you have in your vicinity and the heavier they all use the service, the slower it is for everyone. Even so, cable providers seem to be doing a better job of delivering what they promise to their customers.

Fiber, for its part, may still be riding high because it's not as available to customers in as many locations as cable or DSL. Regardless, if you're shopping for broadband and download speed is important to you, the FCC says cable and FIOS are the way to go. In fact, the report rates individual wireline carriers against their promised speed versus time of day, so it's worth a look if you're considering changing ISPs.

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Do you feel you're getting the speed that you're paying for, or that your carrier promised? Let us know in the poll, and then share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.